-
EA in the news once again for FIFA accounts being compromised
Four years ago there was an epidemic of account thievery related to the FIFA series and its Ultimate Team mode. Many described it at the time as “hackings” but really it was social engineering and a major failure in EA’s customer service where inexperienced reps transferred accounts without properly verifying ownership.
Since that time EA Sports has put into place numerous layers of account security which has certainly helped. However in a report today from BBC News, it appears the same issues are coming back to the surface.
Some heavily invested Ultimate Team players, being targeted because of their known stature or possibly leaderboard rankings, have lost control of their accounts. The report singles out some high-profile Youtubers but it’s not isolated to just them. Thieves know their accounts will have lots of coins and highly desirable valuable cards so that’s what they’re going after.
When money is on the line people are going to look for ways to steal. Unfortunately EA still seems to be struggling with the concept of social engineering. It’s unclear how much of the fault should be on the users for not utilizing every available protection measure, but clearly EA has more work to do to eliminate this problem.
-
NBA 2K16 patch expected later this month; will address broken Pro-Am
With one of the game’s major modes not really working the first patch for NBA 2K16 is eagerly awaited. Â Finally today 2K Sports commented on the subject after being mute on it since the game came out, stating that a patch is currently in the internal testing stage with expectation it will reach first parties for certification soon.
Essentially then a reasonable expectation is two weeks from this point before it will go live on PS4 and Xbox One. That’s a long time to wait as Pro-Am will have been broken for the first month of the game’s release, but at least now there’s something on the horizon that could potentially get it running properly. The patch is said to address Pro-Am issues but there’s probably going to be quite a few other fixes included as well.
Last year NBA 2K15 released with a myriad of server-related problems affecting MyPark, MyTeam, ranked online games, and even MyCareer and MyGM. The first patch for that one made it out 2 1/2 weeks after release. There wasn’t another patch until mid-December.
-
Nearly two weeks have passed and Pro-Am in NBA 2K16 still isn’t working as it should
2K Sports promoted the Pro-Am as a big feature addition for NBA 2K16. As a replacement for the Jordan Rec Center, the feature would allow up to five people to play as a team online against a team of others, with leaderboards and no more “Got Next” waiting around. The team branding would even allow for custom uniforms and arena.
Unfortunately we’re now on the 13th day since 2K16 released and the Pro-Am still isn’t working properly. Games more often than not never start up, with the lobby room failing to fill completely or even when a full 10 are collected never generating a game to play. Those who don’t live nearby others can’t even connect together to a MyCourt, which means they’re unable to play on the same Pro-Am team. Finally there are the custom courts which apparently have yet to even be activated. The best chance of success in actually getting into a game seems to be when teaming up through MyCourt but with only three or four players.
2K has been notably quiet on the subject, even seemingly antagonizing fans on Twitter who can’t play the mode by refusing to acknowledge it and instead sending out messages such as this one. It’s still unclear what is being worked on – whether it could be improved through server-side updates or if a patch will be necessary – and when those fixes may be implemented.
NBA 2K16 is by far the strongest launch in recent memory for the series as every offline mode is consistently accessible while standard online games and even MyPark have been working better than ever. The failure of Pro-Am however stands as the lone area of disappointment and discontent with the otherwise outstanding product.
-
Xbox One bundles include free NBA 2K16 through October 10
Retailers including Amazon, Gamestop, Best Buy, and Target are running a promotion this week where a free copy of NBA 2K16 is being thrown in with many of the previously available Xbox One bundles. The promotion runs through Saturday.
Over at Amazon those Xbox One options include the 1TB Madden NFL 16 Bundle and FIFA 16 Bundle for $399 or the 500GB Gears of War Ultimate Edition Bundle and The LEGO Movie Bundle for $349. NBA 2K16 is added to what’s already offered in those packages. In the case of the two EA Sports game bundles they also have a full year subscription to EA Access.
-
First patch for FIFA 16 available now on PS4 and PC; soon for Xbox One
The first patch to address community feedback and various issues for FIFA 16 is out now on PlayStation 4 and PC with its arrival on Xbox One expected in the near future. The changes with the update influence on gameplay, Career mode, and Ultimate Team. Read more
-
Final regular season roster update for MLB 15: The Show
The MLB postseason is ready to begin and today the last roster update from the regular season arrived for MLB 15: The Show. There are several players who will be playing in the postseason that have been affected, including a huge bump for National League Cy Young contender Jake Arrieta after his incredible performance over the second half of the year.
Among the players rising significantly in the update are Josh Donaldson (+1 to 96), Jake Arrieta (+4 to 94), Jose Altuve (+1 to 93), Michael Brantley (+3 to 89), Andrew Miller (+3 to 89), Kris Bryant (+3 to 87), Jose Bautista (+1 to 86), Mark Melancon (+2 to 85), Shin-Soo Choo (+3 to 83), and Mike Moustakas (+6 to 82).
Names that have seen their ratings fall include Paul Goldschmidt (-1 to 96), Manny Machado (-1 to 93), Chris Sale (-2 to 92), Anthony Rizzo (-1 to 91), Alex Rodriguez (-1 to 84), Albert Pujols (-1 to 84), and Todd Frazier (-4 to 84).
-
The Line Drive for October 4
The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, deal alerts, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.
♦Check out the latest content created for Sporting News and Hit The Pass:
   •O’Bannon ruling complicates potential return of college video games
   •NBA 2K16 review: A legend in the making
   •NBA Live 16 review: All-in with new online modes
   •Discussing the Spike Lee story mode in NBA 2K16 (video)
   •Discussing NBA 2K16 while playing two online games (video)
   •Hit The Pass Radio is now on iTunes and Stitcher on Android
   •More great video content coming – subscribe to HTP Youtube channel♦The upcoming DLC pack for Rocket League is scheduled to go out on October 13.
♦The first patch for FIFA 16 is out on PC and coming to PS4/XB1 soon.
♦New tutorial videos on freelance offense and offensive strategy for NBA 2K16.
♦Details on the latest gameplay tuner update that has just gone out for NHL 16.
♦Roster update for use online in PES 2016 is out but wait continues for other modes.
♦The latest episode of Breaking Madden looks to get revenge for Robert Griffin III.
♦Details on the latest software update for PS4 which added some new features.
♦Amazon offering Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One for $50 to Prime members.
♦Amazon offering Halo 5: Guardians on Xbox One for $50 to Prime members.
♦Amazon offering Fallout 4 on Xbox One or PS4 for $53 to Prime members.
♦Amazon offering WWE 2K16 on Xbox One or PS4 for $53 to Prime members. -
Press Row Podcast: NBA 2K16 Review Roundtable
The Press Row Podcast episode for this week has become one of the most anticipated every year now – the full panel discussion on the latest entry in the NBA 2K series. Wide-ranging discussion on NBA 2K16 includes the mixed reaction towards the Spike Lee story mode, improvements to gameplay, changes to controls, arena and uniform creation options, what isn’t working still, and some of the most interesting moments with the game thus far.
Check out the podcast through iTunes for iOS, on Android with the Stitcher app, or with Pocket Casts on iOS, Android, and Windows. Subscribe and review to help support the show! You can also listen with the streaming player below.
by